WHO chief says the enclave’s infrastructure is being destroyed as UN company warns of hovering healthcare wants.
The United Nations estimates that round 50,000 pregnant girls are at the moment residing in Gaza, with greater than 180 births happening on daily basis amid the “decimation” of its healthcare system.
In an announcement on Sunday, the UN Aid and Works Company for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) mentioned its medical doctors and midwives “are doing all the things attainable to offer look after post-natal and high-risk pregnant girls on the seven operational UNRWA well being centres” – down from 22 earlier than the bloodiest-ever Israeli assault on Gaza started.
Additionally on Sunday, the pinnacle of the World Well being Group (WHO) decried the “decimation” of Gaza’s well being system whereas commending well being professionals there for persevering with to work below excessive circumstances.
“The decimation of the Gaza well being system is a tragedy,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted on X, previously Twitter.
“Within the face of fixed insecurity and inflows of wounded sufferers, we see medical doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers and extra proceed striving to save lots of lives,” he added, reiterating requires a right away ceasefire.
The decimation of the #Gaza well being system is a tragedy.
However within the face of fixed insecurity and inflows of wounded sufferers, we see medical doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers and extra proceed striving to save lots of lives.@WHO and our well being companions will proceed working aspect by aspect… pic.twitter.com/Lq62KoQI1f
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) December 24, 2023
The company warned that whilst healthcare wants soar, solely 38 p.c of pre-conflict hospital beds remained accessible within the Palestinian territory and solely 30 p.c of authentic well being workers have been nonetheless working.
On the similar time, hospitals, protected below worldwide humanitarian legislation, have repeatedly been hit by Israeli strikes because the struggle erupted.
As of December 20, the WHO registered 246 Israeli assaults on healthcare infrastructure in Gaza, together with hospitals and ambulances.
Earlier this week, WHO described “unbearable” scenes of largely deserted sufferers begging for meals and water after its groups visited two badly broken hospitals in northern Gaza the place the struggle is the bloodiest.
The UN physique mentioned solely 9 out of 36 hospitals have been partially practical in the entire of the besieged territory – none within the north – as Israel continued to target medical facilities.
Round 80 p.c of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced to southern Gaza, with tens of hundreds crammed in UN colleges or shielding in opposition to the chilly in makeshift tents.
At the least 20,424 Palestinians have been killed within the 11-week struggle – 166 prior to now 24 hours, in keeping with officers in Gaza. Tens of hundreds are wounded whereas many our bodies stay trapped below rubble.